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Blood, Greer & Broken Billions: How John Donovan Haunted Shell’s Sakhalin Fiasco

Sep 17th, 2025

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When Shell dreamed of Sakhalin, it imagined gleaming LNG plants, billions in profits, and Moscow toasting their engineering genius. Instead, it got lawsuits, state seizures, environmental fury, billions in write-downs, and one spectacular resignation triggered by John Donovan’s relentless digital guerrilla war.

Sakhalin-2 should have been Shell’s crown jewel. Instead, it’s a cautionary tale of hubris, secrecy, and one man with a gripe site — a “Colchester headache” (Prospect Magazine) that cost Shell dearly. WTF indeed.

The Grand Russian Gamble

Back in the early 1990s, Shell partnered in Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, betting on Russia’s far-flung island to deliver liquefied natural gas to Asia and beyond. The project became a logistical monster: frozen seas, migrating grey whales, endless pipelines. Costs ballooned from an initial $10 billion to more than $22 billion by 2005 (Johnson’s Russia List).

The Kremlin pounced. In 2006, Russia’s environmental watchdog accused Shell of “ecological violations” and threatened to shut it down (Business New Europe). The result? Shell was strong-armed into ceding control of Sakhalin-2 to Gazprom. Billions lost. Reputation battered. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Hakluyt’s Tentacles: how Shell’s favourite ‘strategic’ friends reach No.10, the Oval Office, and the altar

Sep 15th, 2025

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“I am deeply concerned to discover that the tentacles of an evil and shadowy private spy firm, Hakluyt & Company Limited, reach right into the very heart of the British establishment, the Church of England… Hakluyt’s stock in trade is deception, trickery, betrayal, fabrication, fraud and infiltration by its undercover agents.”

From Mayfair backrooms to No.10, the Oval Office and even the pews.

If you’ve ever wondered who whispers sweet nothings about “risk” and “stakeholders” into the ears of governments while oil money hums in the background, meet Hakluyt—the discreet fixer founded by ex-MI6 officers, beloved by Shell and , and forever allergic to sunlight. The firm’s recent cameo in the Thames Water crisis wasn’t subtle: “A corporate intelligence company part-owned and formerly run by the prime minister’s business adviser has been paid more than £1m by Thames Water,” the Guardian reported, adding that Hakluyt “claims to have advised almost half of the FTSE 100 and more than three-quarters of the top 20 private equity groups.” And its spokespeople? “We are not a lobbying organisation and do not lobby governments on behalf of clients.” read more

Hakluyt’s Tentacles have reached into 10 Downing Street, the White House, even the Church of England

Sep 14th, 2025

by admin.

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They say sunlight is the best disinfectant. Hakluyt is what happens when you build a shadow empire and pray no one turns on the lights. Born from ex-MI6 operatives, this private intelligence outfit has become Shell’s’ go-to for gathering intel, and keeping critics on a leash. Its tentacles have reached into 10 Downing Street, the White House, and even the Church of England.

What Is Hakluyt, Really?

Founded 1995 by Christopher James and Mike Reynolds. Known to hire former spies, journalists, insiders.

(Wikipedia – Hakluyt & Company)
Revenue figure modest as spy-firms go: millions, but influence? Leverage across government, corporations, utilities, and even religious institutions.

(Wikipedia)

Close Ties: Shell, BP & the Spy Firm

Shell’s relationship with Hakluyt is not “incidental advisory.” Internal sources and whistleblowers (Alfred and John Donovan) collected evidence that Shell directors such as Sir William Purves and Sir Peter Holmes held senior roles in Hakluyt. read more

Shell, Spies and the Church: Public Enemy Number 1 in the Pews of Power

Sep 5th, 2025

by admin.

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UPDATED 6 Sept 2025

When oil, espionage, and institutional sanctity collide, you get more than corporate intrigue—you get disaster dressed as business. This isn’t a Bond novel. This is Shell—deploying spies, dodging accountability, and leaving death and pollution in its wake. And Amnesty International reminds us: Shell can divest, but it can’t wash away its crimes.

1. The Church, the Fax, and Hakluyt’s Grip

In 2004, a letter Shell critic Alfred Donovan faxed to Hakluyt & Companyco-founder Christopher James (a private intelligence firm founded by MI6 veterans) mysteriously turned up on the desk of a surprised lawyer at the Church of England’s Legal Office. read more

WTF, SHELL? JACKDAW’S ‘NEW’ CLIMATE MATH

Sep 3rd, 2025

by admin.

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A court told Shell to count what gets burned. Now Jackdaw’s fate depends on whether the UK wants the gas—and the emissions that come with it—on the books.

Shell—aka the ultimate sin stock with a green paintbrush—has filed a fresh environmental impact assessment for the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea after losing in court to Greenpeace. Translation: the judges said, if your product gets burned, you have to count the emissions from burning it—those pesky Scope 3s—before ministers decide whether to hand you the keys. The previous approval? Unlawful.

Jackdaw isn’t some tiny puddle of methane dreams. It sits about 150 miles east of Aberdeen, and Shell loves to say it could churn out around 6% of the UK’s gas once it’s turned on—if ministers ever let them turn it on. Construction of the production platform is already well under way, but no extraction can start until the government retakes the decision under the new rules. read more

South African Slap in the Face for Shell

Aug 16th, 2025

by admin.

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Shell’s Investors: The Puppet-Masters of Pollution

Before we dive into the carnage, let’s talk ownership. Shell isn’t run by wild-haired cowboys—it’s chaired by mega institutional shareholders puffing on the dividends. BlackRock, in particular, wields its muscle—owning around 4% of the company according to Shell’s own disclosures . Vanguard isn’t far behind with around 3% . So while you’re outraged at Shell, don’t sleep on the financial vultures pulling the strings.

1. South African Slap in the Face: Courts Smack Down Shell & Total

Shell’s grand plans for environmental devastation off South Africa’s coast have hit a wall. The Western Cape High Court just set aside TotalEnergies’ offshore drilling permit—Shell was supposed to swoop in and take over operations—but nope. Judge Mangcu-Lockwood said, in effect, “You forgot to study the actual impacts. Try again”—spelling out flaws in risk assessments, community engagement, and disaster planning. read more

Shell: The Greedy, Polluting Sin Stock That Spies on Activists While Drowning the Planet in Profit

Aug 16th, 2025

by admin.

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Let’s get this straight: Shell—the oil Goliath with a BlackRock thumbprint, a penchant for espionage, and an endless appetite for green devastation—is not just a fossil fuel baron, it’s a masterclass in corporate ethical bankruptcy.

1. Spying on the Good Guys: Hakluyt, MI6—and Yourself

Brace yourself. Shell quietly engaged Hakluyt & Company—a spy firm founded by ex-MI6 officers—to infiltrate and target Greenpeace campaigns. According to investigative journalists, “two oil companies hired a private espionage service… to infiltrate Greenpeace, Germany” Hakluyt may deny ties now, but the firm “still schmoozes Shell, BP & the British Establishment” . Translation? Shell didn’t just fuel climate denial—they employed espionage to squash activism. read more

Shell’s Climate Crimes: Because Nothing Says ‘Green Future’ Like 700 New Oil Fields

May 13th, 2025

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Where BlackRock backs black gold and Shell defends the indefensible

It’s hard not to marvel at the consistency of Shell—an oil giant so committed to profit that not even the planet’s impending collapse can distract it. Hot on the (carbon) heels of its courtroom wrangles, Shell is now facing yet another lawsuit from Dutch climate group Milieudefensie. Why? Because Shell’s idea of a “transition” plan looks suspiciously like business as usual—only with more oil, more gas, and a side of PR greenwash. read more

Shell & BP’s “Capital-Light” Climate Hustle: Why Save the Planet When You Can Trade Around It?

Mar 26th, 2025

by John Donovan.

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Hold onto your lungs, folks—Shell and BP are back at it with their latest climate cosplay. Yes, the world’s favorite carbon barons have decided they still kinda want a piece of the “clean energy” pie—not to save the planet, of course, but because it gives them a juicy trading advantage. Welcome to the age of “capital-light” climate action, where you don’t have to build anything meaningful—you just trade electrons and slap a green label on it.

Shell, that bastion of environmental virtue (ahem), is now leaning into what CEO Wael Sawan proudly calls a “capital-light business model” for renewables. Translation: we’ll let other people build the stuff while we swoop in to make money off the volatility. Shell will “make use of project financing where it makes sense and work with partners,” said Sawan at the New York Stock Exchange, presumably while clutching a reusable water bottle for ESG optics. read more

Hakluyt: The Spooky Spy Firm That Swears It’s Totally Independent (While Still Schmoozing Shell, BP & the British Establishment)

Mar 24th, 2025

by John Donovan.

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By John Donovan: 24 March 2025

When your clients include Shell, your alumni include MI6, and your letters end up on the desk of a Church of England lawyer… yeah, “independent” is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

Ah, Hakluyt — the Bond-esque boutique “advisory” firm that insists it’s not spooky anymore, despite being founded by MI6 veterans, crawling with political insiders, and forever orbiting the oily gravitational pull of companies like Shell and , those lovable eco-saboteurs who just want to profit while the world burns.

In his first public interview as Hakluyt’s new managing partner, Thomas Ellis reassured us all with a totally believable promise: that the firm is determined to stay “independent” — even as the consulting world consolidates faster than Shell’s ethics in an oil spill. read more

Spills, Spies, and Lies: Shell’s Slick Exit from Nigeria

Mar 15th, 2025

by admin.

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**Wall Street is an invisible partner in Shell’s plunder: happy to enjoy the spoils, deaf to the spoils of war Shell waged on Nigeria’s environment**

Cue the confetti: Shell is finally packing its bags after 87 years in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. But before anyone applauds, note that the oil giant is slipping out the back door largely to avoid cleaning up the monumental mess it created, all while still clinging to the profitable parts of the business. In a $2.8 billion “exit” deal announced in January, Shell agreed to sell its onshore Nigerian subsidiary to a local consortium called Renaissance. How noble—except Shell isn’t really riding off into the sunset. The company generously decided to loan the buyers $1.2 billion to help them purchase Shell’s assets and will pony up another $1.3 billion to fund future cleanup and gas projects. Why would an exiting company invest further? Perhaps because those projects conveniently benefit Shell’s remaining 25.6% stake in Nigeria’s gas enterprise. In other words, Shell is getting paid to “leave” while secretly keeping a foot in the door and a hand in the cookie jar. read more

Shell’s Billion-Dollar Bonanza: Profits Over Planet, Again

Feb 26th, 2025

by John Donovan.

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Shell is once again proving that nothing—not plummeting profits, climate devastation, or public outrage—will stop it from showering its investors with cash. Despite a “disappointing” $23.7 billion in profits for 2024 (down from the nearly $40 billion bonanza in 2022), Shell still managed to cough up $22.5 billion for its investors, because when you’re one of the world’s most notorious polluters, keeping shareholders happy always comes before keeping the planet habitable. read more

BP + Shell: A Merger of Big Oil, Bigger Lies, and Corporate Espionage

Feb 17th, 2025

by admin.

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(article exposing Shell BP spying operations)

Published same day in the same newspaper

BP + Shell: A Merger of Big Oil and Corporate Espionage: When Spying on Environmentalists Just Isn’t Enough, Merge and Double the Surveillance!

Forget the usual corporate greed—if BP and Shell merge, they won’t just be pooling their oil assets, they’ll be consolidating their dirty tricks, too. Because what’s better than one morally bankrupt fossil fuel giant? Two, working together to crush dissent, spy on activists, and ensure the climate crisis is well-funded for decades to come.

BP + Shell: More Than Just Oil Profiteers—They’re Professional Spymasters, Too

Both BP and Shell have spent decades using the shady London-based intelligence firm Hakluyt to spy on activists, journalists, and anyone else who dares to question their environmental destruction. While Greenpeace and other climate groups were busy warning the world about the climate crisis, BP and Shell were busy infiltrating them. read more

Shell on Trial, Again

Feb 11th, 2025

by John Donovan.

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Shell on Trial: The Oil Giant That Polluted Nigeria for Profit Now Faces Justice

Well, well, well—the corporate overlords at Shell are finally being dragged into court for their decades of destruction in the Niger Delta. From February 13 to March 7, 2025, London’s High Court will host a showdown between Shell, the kingpin of oil pollution, and the Ogale and Bille communities, who have spent ten years fighting for their right to drink clean water and not die from corporate negligence.

Shell’s Decades of Toxic Greed

The communities, home to 80,000 people, have been battling Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC since 2015, demanding compensation and a proper cleanup after enduring hundreds of oil spills. These spills contaminated water sources, wiped out farmland and fisheries, and exposed residents to severe health risks. But instead of taking responsibility, Shell has spent more time dodging accountability than it has cleaning up its mess. read more

Shell’s Arctic Hypocrisy: Funding Putin’s War with Kremlin-Escorted Gas Shipments

Feb 11th, 2025

by John Donovan.

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Oh look, another day, another example of Shell doing what Shell does best—putting profit over morality, humanity, and basic decency. This time, the fossil fuel giant has found itself in the middle of a geopolitical scandal, buying Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) while its shipments are escorted by sanctioned, Kremlin-backed nuclear icebreakers.

Yes, while the world watches Ukraine burn and Western leaders scramble to cut off Putin’s war machine, Shell has been lining Moscow’s pockets with cold, hard cash. But don’t worry—Shell’s PR team is on the case, insisting that everything is technically legal. Because nothing says corporate responsibility like funding a war as long as there’s a legal loophole. read more

Shell’s Latest Courtroom Shenanigans: Because Who Needs Laws When You Have Billions?

Jan 30th, 2025

by John Donovan.

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Posted by John Donovan: 30 Jan 2025

In yet another shocking display of corporate audacity, Shell—the world’s favorite environmental supervillain—just had its UK North Sea drilling permits for the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields ruled unlawful by the Scottish courts. But don’t pop the champagne just yet! Thanks to some legal gymnastics, Shell and its Norwegian sidekick, Equinor, can keep plowing ahead with their climate-wrecking projects while they “reapply” for permission. Because, obviously, rules don’t apply when you have BlackRock and Vanguard pouring billions into your destruction fund. read more

30 November 2023: Posted by John Donovan

The content below is sourced from current verifiable customer reviews of Shell Energy published on Trustpilot.
Extremely slow broadband for 10 months, not fixed. I have had slow broadband well below the guaranteed speed for 10 months and Shell Energy have not been able to fix it. They have tried sending about 4 or 5 engineers but have not fixed the problem. Gurps, who I have been dealing with most recently, has been friendly and polite, alth… Read more

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Greenpeace

Sakhalin-2 should have been Shell’s crown jewel. Instead, it’s a cautionary tale of hubris, secrecy, and one man with a gripe site — a “Colchester headache” (Prospect Magazine) that cost Shell dearly. WTF indeed.

The Grand Russian Gamble

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From Mayfair backrooms to No.10, the Oval Office and even the pews.

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What Is Hakluyt, Really?

Close Ties: Shell, BP & the Spy Firm

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The Church, the Fax, and Hakluyt’s Grip

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A court told Shell to count what gets burned. Now Jackdaw’s fate depends on whether the UK wants the gas—and the emissions that come with it—on the books.

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Shell’s Investors: The Puppet-Masters of Pollution

1. South African Slap in the Face: Courts Smack Down Shell & Total

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1. Spying on the Good Guys: Hakluyt, MI6—and Yourself

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When your clients include Shell, your alumni include MI6, and your letters end up on the desk of a Church of England lawyer… yeah, “independent” is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

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Wall Street is an invisible partner in Shell’s plunder: happy to enjoy the spoils, deaf to the spoils of war Shell waged on Nigeria’s environment

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BP + Shell: A Merger of Big Oil and Corporate Espionage: When Spying on Environmentalists Just Isn’t Enough, Merge and Double the Surveillance!

BP + Shell: More Than Just Oil Profiteers—They’re Professional Spymasters, Too

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Shell on Trial: The Oil Giant That Polluted Nigeria for Profit Now Faces Justice

Shell’s Decades of Toxic Greed

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SHELL EXECUTIVES AT THE CENTER OF A SCHEME TO STEAL $1.3 BILLION FROM NIGERIA’S PEOPLE

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30 November 2023: Posted by John Donovan

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**Wall Street is an invisible partner in Shell’s plunder: happy to enjoy the spoils, deaf to the spoils of war Shell waged on Nigeria’s environment**